Me So Crazy

[leeputmanjr]

This Sunday I will be picking up a new-to-me '74 Spider.

Sure, it's been stored in a garage for 31 years, and is a time-capsule with
less than 50k miles...sure it has an EXCELLENT, solid, rust-free body...sure
the interior is complete and in SHOCKINGLY nice condition...

So, what's the downside?

The previous owner blew out 1st gear, and then parked it in 1977...after three
hard years of rally racing. The engine will NOT rotate by hand, and even if it
did, the #4 plug was BEYOND fouled...it looks like it was hit by lightening.
So, I'll be pulling the engine & transmission. The exhaust ends under the
passenger floorboards. (Um, LOUD?) The keys are missing. Mice have made a
nice home in the car. One hood hinge is missing, the bumpers seem to be set
too far from the body, and the original canvas top is disintegrating.

The car comes with a TON of spares from a '73 Spider. (Why? 1608 vs 1756?)
Complete wiring harness, complete transmission, head, cam towers, carb, and
several Rubbermaid containers of assorted parts.

It has it's old-school original stamped individual year license plates. It
comes with the original owner's manual and service manual. Many, many books,
most of which I've never seen. Two sets of rims with ancient tires.

At a minimum I'll have to replace the trans & exhaust...rebuild the engine &
brakes...rehab the electrics...and that's before anything fun like polish &
replace chrome, swap to electric ignition, undercoat & paint, a new top...new
tires...and have a locksmith re-key the dang car...

Am I crazy?

...and who wants to buy my '83 Spider?

-Lee


---------
The Put-Man

Now:
1983 Pininfarina Spider (Azzie)
2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (Nellie)

Then:
1969 124 Sport Spider (The Red Baroness)
1974 Fiat 124 Sport Spider (Bella)
1979 Fiat Spider 2000 (El Bitcho)
1972 Fiat 124 Sport Spider (Orangina)

[mdrburchette]

Yep, you're crazy. Who in their right mind needs another Spider?

[leeputmanjr]

Denise!

...and I thought you understood me so well!

-Lee

[Danno]

I refuse to touch this new car, Lee. I'd only be feeding into your illness. I know you are partial to the older spiders, but your 83 is beautiful.....gawd this is going to be a lot of work. I'm anxious about it and it's not even my car.

[rlux4]

Pretty sneaky way to divorce yourself from the tube bumper debate, Lee.
Sure sounds like fun though.
Ron

[perthling]

The '74 bumpers were arranged differently from earlier (and later) models - I think of it as an interim step before they went to the chrome tubes. I've posted some pics of the arrangement elsewhere, but the crux of it is that the 74 bumper tubes were mounted to rectangular rubber blocks which attached to the body. I think the '74 cars all came with front over-riders as well (to raise the nominal height of the bumper?) - but it may have been only CA/MD cars.

http://gallery.italiancarclub.com/124og ... 124Spider/ has some pics of the arrangement.

[leeputmanjr]

Here are the most recent pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leeputmanj ... 019936450/

In the pictures, check out the manuals & books it came with - WOW!

It was located only 30 some-odd miles from me in Clarendon Hills, IL. The
original owner only used it for three years doing “Time/Distance/Speed” rally
course pre-checks – so nothing bone-crunching. It’s been stored since 1977!

The car was Ziebarted when new, and the entire underside structure is as
pristine as it gets. Of course, there are a few spots of minor surface rust…
but nothing to cry about. This car is an amazing time-capsule...the top boot
has NEVER been installed, nor have the floor carpets! It has H4 headlights
installed with protective bubbles...done back in '75! I also discovered
inadvertently while moving the car, the dang BRAKES still function! I mean, of
course they'll need a lot of attention, but the fact that they can still stop
the car after 31 years is amazing to me.

The door panels, dash, carpet, and center console are all in PERFECT
condition! The seats have a few minor tears. The ORIGINAL factory-installed
canvas top looks ready to disintegrate, but is very interesting and clearly
much better quality than the new replacements.

This "new-to-me" Spider made it home in one piece, but the two-wheel tow-dolly
setup from U-Haul was NOT FUN! Very squirrelly. Thankfully I only had to go
about 30 miles, the rain held off, and I got her home without a DROP of water
on her until we splashed through my driveway. Getting the dang car OFF the tow
dolly was less-than-fun…pushing it by myself nearly caused me to rupture
something!

I have not even had time to unload the Jeep - it is PACKED with extra bits! I
have an "extra" radiator, a '74 Spider header (4-2), an extra 2-1 downpipe, 3
starters, two extra cam towers with cams, a complete '73 wiring harness, one
extra transmission, and enough early model steel rims to make a complete set of
barstools!

I’m planning to bring it to Slayton’s Tech Day on the 31st with the West
Michigan FLU, but there will be NO PARTING-OUT of my cars this year! NONE, I
SAY!

Anyway, I'm a "Two-Spider Family" again, even if it's just for a little while.
I’ll be selling my ’83 Spider, so if anyone wants the proverbial “someone just
dumped a LOT of money into it” Spider…let me know.

-Lee